This month\u2019s CA looks a little different, as it is a \u2018special issue\u2019 delving into illuminating new research centred on early medieval England.<\/p>\n
Originally published in Nature, the project in question highlights how genetic data can shed light on matters including migration, integration, family histories, and burial customs within different communities in the immediate post-Roman period. When exploring questions of ancestry, it is important to do so in a nuanced and self-aware manner, and our intention with this special issue is to highlight the human stories that can now be discerned from cemetery populations, from otherwise invisible family relationships to intrepid journeys undertaken centuries ago. There are fascinating insights and individual stories to share, from the woman (featured on the cover) who was laid to rest beside a cow at Oakington, Cambridgeshire, to a young girl with West African ancestry who was buried in early 7th-century Kent.<\/p>\n
Professor Duncan Sayer sets out the project\u2019s main themes on p.18, so I will not repeat his summary here. Instead, I will end with a quick note on terminology. As a historical descriptor, \u2018Anglo-Saxon\u2019 has been the subject of academic debate in recent years. While it remains a commonly used popular shorthand for the early medieval period in England, and for the people who lived there, its appropriateness has come under scrutiny as, in some contexts, it has been co-opted for less savoury purposes. In acknowledging this, I want to emphasise that, where used in this issue, \u2018Anglo-Saxon\u2019 is intended to refer to the kingdoms of early medieval England, rather than to specific ideas of identity or ethnicity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In this issue:<\/strong><\/p>\n – Setting the scene: groundbreaking insights into early medieval England Plus: News, Reviews, Science Notes, Museum News, Sherds, Scottish Archaeology Month, Odd Socs, and more!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3826,"template":"","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"","site-sidebar-style":"","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[465],"product_tag":[20],"class_list":{"0":"post-3825","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-back-issue-current-archaeology","7":"product_tag-current-archaeology","8":"product_shipping_class-back-issue","9":"desktop-align-center","10":"tablet-align-center","11":"mobile-align-center","12":"ast-product-gallery-layout-first-image-large","13":"ast-product-gallery-with-no-image","14":"ast-magnify-disabled","15":"ast-product-tabs-layout-distributed","17":"first","18":"instock","19":"taxable","20":"shipping-taxable","21":"purchasable","22":"product-type-simple"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px.jpg",1000,1345,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-223x300.jpg",223,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-768x1033.jpg",768,1033,true],"large":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-761x1024.jpg",761,1024,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px.jpg",1000,1345,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px.jpg",1000,1345,false],"woocommerce_thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-300x400.jpg",300,400,true],"woocommerce_single":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-600x807.jpg",600,807,true],"woocommerce_gallery_thumbnail":["https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-content\/uploads\/Cover1000px-100x100.jpg",100,100,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/author\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In this issue: - Setting the scene: groundbreaking insights into early medieval England - The migration question: exploring the history of the \u2018Anglo-Saxons\u2019 - Archaeogenetics: illuminating the past with DNA - New evidence from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries - Individual encounters: uncovering family tales and African ancestry - Beyond DNA: what can isotopes add to the picture?…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/3825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=3825"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=3825"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/currentpublishing.com\/shop\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=3825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n– The migration question: exploring the history of the \u2018Anglo-Saxons\u2019
\n– Archaeogenetics: illuminating the past with DNA
\n– New evidence from Anglo-Saxon cemeteries
\n– Individual encounters: uncovering family tales and African ancestry
\n– Beyond DNA: what can isotopes add to the picture?
\n– Revisiting the Adventus Saxonum: piecing together new discoveries<\/p>\n